Chapter 2
My father turned toward the staircase.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Jordan stood halfway down the stairs wearing designer sweatpants, expensive sneakers, and a grin that slowly disappeared when he noticed Dad's expression.
"What did you just say?" Dad asked.
Jordan stopped.
"Nothing."
"You asked whether Jasmine paid the rest."
Jordan looked at Denise.
"Mom?"
"Go upstairs," she snapped.
Dad raised his voice.
"Jordan, stay right there."
I had never seen Jordan obey my father so quickly.
He remained on the stairs, gripping the shopping bag.
Dad held up my phone.
"This says a transfer was made from Jasmine's account yesterday afternoon."
I stared at him.
Yesterday?
I had only noticed the notification that evening because Denise had deleted earlier alerts from my banking application while borrowing my phone.
At least, that was what I suspected.
She had asked to use it the previous day, claiming her own battery was dead.
I had handed it over without thinking.
Now I wanted to scream at myself for trusting her.
Dad turned the screen toward me.
"Jasmine, did you authorize this?"
"No."
"Did you give Denise permission to transfer money?"
"No, Dad."
He looked at his wife.
"Then explain it."
Denise tried to smile.
"We were going to replace everything."
"How much?"
"Marcus, please."
"How much?"
She closed her eyes.
"Four thousand eight hundred dollars."
My knees nearly buckled.
"What?"
Dad caught my elbow.
I stared at Denise.
"Four thousand eight hundred?"
She didn't answer.
I grabbed my phone from Dad's hand and opened the banking application.
My savings balance stared back at me.
Two thousand three hundred and sixteen dollars.
I had saved more than seven thousand.
More than a year of late-night shifts, missed birthday parties, packed lunches, and aching feet.
Gone.
Almost five thousand dollars.
I couldn't breathe.
"That was my tuition money."
Denise stepped toward me.
"Jasmine, calm down."
I moved backward.
"Don't tell me to calm down!"
Jordan hurried down the remaining stairs.
"Mom said it was family money."
I turned toward him.
"Family money?"
He shrugged.
"She said Dad gave it to you anyway."
Dad's expression changed.
"What?"
Jordan looked confused.
"She told me Jasmine's savings came from you."
I shook my head.
"I worked for every dollar."
"Well, I didn't know that."
"You never asked!"
Jordan looked at the shopping bag in his hand.
Then he placed it behind his leg.
I stared at him.
"What did you buy?"
"Nothing."
"Jordan."
He sighed.
"A phone."
"How much?"
He glanced at Denise.
Dad stepped closer.
"Show me the receipt."
Jordan reluctantly opened the bag.
Inside was a brand-new premium phone, wireless earbuds, and an expensive smartwatch.
The total receipt showed more than three thousand dollars.
I felt sick.
My tuition money had become Jordan's shopping spree.
But something didn't make sense.
"If the purchases were three thousand dollars, where did the rest go?"
Denise folded her arms.
"Household expenses."
Dad looked at her.
"Which expenses?"
"Groceries. Bills. Things you don't understand because you're always working."
I almost laughed.
Dad paid the mortgage.
Dad paid the utilities.
Dad paid for the groceries.
Denise hadn't worked outside the home since their wedding five years earlier.
She managed the household, but I had never once heard her complain about being unable to afford food.
Dad stared at her.
"You're telling me you took nearly five thousand dollars from Jasmine without permission and spent it on Jordan and household expenses?"
"You're exaggerating."
He took a slow breath.
"Jordan, put everything on the table."
Jordan hesitated.
"Why?"
"Now."
He obeyed.
Dad looked at me.
"Sweetheart, when did you first notice the missing money?"
"Tonight."
"Have there been other withdrawals?"
"I don't know."
That answer frightened me more than I wanted to admit.
Dad gently touched my shoulder.
"We're going through everything."
Denise shook her head.
"This is ridiculous. You can't treat me like a criminal over money that was going to stay in the family."
Dad looked at her.
"It was never yours."
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
For the first time, I saw fear in her eyes.
Not shame.
Not remorse.
Fear.
Dad picked up his phone and called the bank's fraud department.
Denise immediately protested.
"Marcus, don't involve strangers in our personal business!"
He ignored her.
While he spoke with the bank representative, I sat on the sofa and tried to stop my hands from shaking.
Jordan stood near the dining table.
He looked uncomfortable.
But he didn't apologize.
That hurt almost as much as the theft.
I had helped him study for exams.
I had covered his shifts when he worked briefly at a clothing store.
I had even lent him money when he wanted to take his girlfriend to dinner.
And now he had accepted thousands of dollars without caring where they came from.
Dad finished the call.
"The bank has opened a dispute and restricted further transfers while they review the account."
Denise stared at him.
"You really did that?"
"Yes."
"You embarrassed me!"
Dad's face hardened.
"You stole from my daughter."
"I borrowed it!"
"Without asking."
"Because I knew she'd say no!"
The room fell silent.
Denise seemed to realize what she had admitted.
I stood.
"That is exactly why you shouldn't have taken it."
She glared at me.
"You've always been selfish."
I stared at her.
"Selfish?"
"Everything has to be about your future, your school, your dreams."
"My dreams?"
My voice broke.
"I wanted to become a nurse because I watched my mother spend her final months in a hospital."
Dad closed his eyes.
I continued.
"I remember the nurses who stayed with her when she was scared. I remember how they helped me understand what was happening."
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
"I wanted to become someone who could do that for another family."
Denise looked away.
"And you spent my tuition money on Jordan's phone."
For once, she had nothing to say.
Dad walked over and wrapped his arms around me.
"We're going to fix this."
I wanted to believe him.
Then Jordan's phone started ringing.
He looked at the screen and quickly silenced it.
But I saw the name before he turned it away.
Evelyn.
My father's older sister.
Aunt Evelyn had always disliked Denise.
Three months earlier, she'd warned me to watch my savings.
I hadn't understood why.
Jordan's phone rang again.
Dad noticed.
"Answer it."
Jordan shook his head.
"It's private."
Dad held out his hand.
"Jordan."
He reluctantly answered on speaker.
Aunt Evelyn's voice filled the room.
"Jordan, tell your mother she needs to return the money immediately. I have the documents proving what she's been doing."
My father froze.
"What documents, Evelyn?"
There was silence.
Then my aunt spoke.
"Marcus?"
"Yes."
Her voice changed.
"Oh, thank God. You're finally home."
Dad tightened his grip on the phone.
"Evelyn, what is going on?"
My aunt took a shaky breath.
"Your wife hasn't just been stealing from Jasmine."
I stared at Denise.
Her face had gone white.
Aunt Evelyn continued.
May you like
"She's been preparing to use Jasmine's identity to open loans."
And suddenly, four thousand eight hundred dollars sounded like the smallest part of our nightmare.
